Protection of levees, embankments, dams, and other natural or artificial structures.



J. MQGILLIVRAY. PROTECTION OF LEVEES, EMBANKMENTS, DAMS, AND OTHERNATURAL 0R ARTIFICIAL STRUCTURES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1913.

1, 1 12,018. Pa ented Sept. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

minimises /4 /6 /4 UNITED STATES PATENT o nicE. I

' James McGILLIVRAY, or SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

PROTECTION OF LEVEES, EMBAFTKMENTS, DAMS, AND OTHER NATURAL ORARTIFICIAL STRUCTURES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES MCGILLIVRAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento, State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in the Protectionof- Levees, Embankments, Dams, and other Natural or ArtificialStructures, of which tion of levees and other structures above mentioned-more expeditious, permanent, durable, practicable, eflicient andconsiderably cheaper and more economical.

;Heretofore.levees and embankments constructed of sand,'earth or othermaterial have generally been left Without any special protection otherthan the material of which theyare constructed. In some places, whereunusually exposed, however, the embankment has at times been protectedby piling driven into the water at the lower edge of the leveeorembankment, or by means of brush strewn along or upon the levee,sometimes by brush packed in behind the piling driven at the base of thelevee or embankment; and recently an attempt has been made to protectlevees by means of a solid concrete coating or surface on the exposedside of the levee. The method'of constructing this solid concrete ormonolithic surface is similar to that used in the construction of cementor concrete sidewalks, that isto say: the cement, sand and gravel orcrushed rock are taken to the point of intended use, and

there mixed and dampened and applied to the side of the levee wheredesired, in one solid and continuous surface. 1

The present invention" contemplates the formation of a revetment fromslabs or blocks of concrete or other suitable composi tion or material,which blocks may be of any suitable size 'or shape and be made at anyconvenient place whence to be taken to the place of useand joinedtogether insufficient numbers to cover the area to be protected.

The invention therefore consists in the structure of partsand 'in their.association,

Specification of Letters Patent.

combination and arrangement for the purpose specified, substantially ashereinafter set forth and claimed.

That the invention may be fully and concisely disclosed, reference ismade to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this applicationand in which- Figure 1 represents in vertical section an embankmentprotected by a revetment or mattress embodying this invention; Fig. 2 isan elevation of a portion of such revetment; Fig. 3 is an edge view of aslab constituting one of the units of said revetment, the manner ofjoining another unit thereto Patented Sept. 29, 1914. Application filedMay 17, 1913. Serial No. 768,293.

being also shown therein; Figs. 4 & 5 are face and end views of one ofsaid units; Fig. 6 shows the face of one of such units with only one tiehole in each end; Fig. 7 is an enlarged face view of the tie seen inFig. 3-; Fig. 8 is a like view of the end portion of a unit at the endof a revetment; and Fig. 9 shows an anchor that may be,used for anyportion of the revetment.

The units of the revetment are preferably in the form of slabs from two(2) inches to six (6) inches in thickness; from one (1) foot to three'(3) feet in width and from two (2) feet to ten (10) feet in length. Theslabs, constructed at the point of manufac ture, are transmitted withthe cables and otherfastenings to the point of use and secured togetherand in place by mea'ns'of the cables and other fastenings, as fullydescribed hereinafter.

The slabs are so constructed {as to be" placed lengthwise of the levee,that is, a

cable is attached to eachend'of the slab by the means hereinafterindicated and as sh'ownin thedr'awings. The cables extend from thebottom of the levee, or the-lowest point to be protected, up. to theupper portiongf'or top, of the'l'evee, and are there fas-" 'tene'd to apermanent or artificial anchor,

'fis pl'aced nj'qo'sition at the bottom of the: levee antipa 'ch end ofthis slab is fastened to ith'e' cabl'e adjoining snch end. The 'nextslab is then placed- ;im mediately above the lower slab and fas-' tenedlikewise to the same cables. This process is continued until enoughslabs have" been placed one ebo've'another to; reach to the height to beprotected, then the next row of slabs is placed in position. The end ofthe slab nearest the row of slabs already in place being attached to thesame cable and the opposite end of the slab to another cable. When thisrow of slabs is completed to the height desired, the next row of slabsis put in place, fastened to the cables and completed, until there isthus formed one complete mattress covering the space desired. Each rowof slabs is fastened to the adjoining row of slabs by being fastened tothe same cable and by additional means, if re- 7 quired; that is, theends of the two slabs where they come together, are fastened to thecable running through the groove in the ends of theslab, as more fullyshown in the drawings. By this means a pliable mat or mattress composedof these various units or slabs, with the cables running between eachset of units, and the various units fastened together as indicated, isformed, and this mattress thus formed will conform to any settling anderosion or other changes in the form of the embankment upon which itrests. In most instances the weight of the slabs will be sufiicient tohold the entire structure in place. In some instances where the currentis strong or wash severe, the lower end of the cables are anchored bymeans of cement or granite blocks or other weights or to cement or otherpiles driven into the ground. A large number of slabs can be assembledat the upper portion of the embankment or on barges or boats, there tiedto the cables and fastened together and then lowered to the point towhich it is desired tolower them beneath the surface of the water, andthis protection can therefore be placed in the desired position at anystage of the water and under any conditions of weather.

The most practicableslab is one weigh-- ing not to exceed one hundredand fifty (150) pounds as such a slab is more readily handled and placedin position. On ordinary work, where there is no unusual exposure orWash or pressure, the slabs are made thinner than are those used in moreexposed work.

The slabs may be composed of concrete, made in the usual manner, that isa combination of cement, gravel and sand in proportion ranging from oneof cement to three or more of gravel or crushed rock and three or moreof sand, up to a mixture of one part of cement to ten or fifteen partsof sand steel (or other metal) or asphalt and steel or other metal (thesteel or other metal being used as a reinforcement or protection to theasphalt, concrete; and crude oil and crushed rock; thuswire mesh coatedor covered with concrete, asphalt, crude oil and rock screenings, orclay products would make a cheap and durable slab;) and they may also bemade of steel, iron or other materials as may be found suitable oradaptable to the varying conditions; the idea being to construct aflexible mattress where the component parts can be constructed at apoint other than the place of use and put together readily at the placeof use and which, when constructed and in place, will conform to thechanging and varying conditions of the levee, embankment, dam or otherstructure upon which the same rests. The slabs may be varied in weightin accordance with the position in which and the circumstances underwhich they are to be used.

Where the mattress is to be placed beneath the surface of the water, itwill be found beneficial to have the mattresses more flexible, which canbe brought about by changing to some extent the formation of the slabs,by looser tying and by other means as hereinafter indicated; and for useheneath the water, instead of placing the sec- 0nd slab above the first,it is placed at the the others, particularly the last, to remain.

on the surface. Other slabs are then placed on top of the first, secondand third, and these gradually lowered into the water, at the same timethe line of slabs being extended as the work progresses and when therequired number of slabs are beneath the water the first row of slabscan then be completed to the height desired and so on with the otherrows.

The slabs may be reinforced by means of iron, steel or other metalreinforcement. This reinforcement is arranged in such a manner that thestrain from the attachment of the, slabs to the cable and the slabs toeach other will come on the metal reinforcement and not on the concreteasphaltum or other material used in the construction of the slab orunit.

At the lower end of each cable a washer is used. This washer may be acontinuous washer or chain. or cable extending from the lower end ofeach cable to the adjoining cable to form a rest for the lower slab and;to hold each series of slabs in position and thus release the strain onthe various ties and fastenings.

The ties are preferably made by means of separate metal rods and drawntight or loose, or some tight and some loose as may be desired orrequired. Ties may be made from the four corners of the slab; from thecenter of the slab or from whatever positions may be desired or requiredto conform to conditions.

Referring specifically tot-he drawings, 10 indicates the unit structureor slab provided with tie holes 11 at the four corners, about whichholes and extending from hole to hole is an embedded reinforcing rod orcable 12, Figs. 8, 4 & 5. The ends of the slabs 10 are grooved at 13 forthe reception of a cable 14 to which the slabs .are connected. Aconvenient form of this tie is represented at' 15. These ties arepreferably metal rods, the ends of which may be twisted or hookedtogether. At the ends of a mattress these rods tie the slabs directly tothe cables, Fig.

8, while throughout the body of the mattress, they tie adjacent slabstogether with the cable intervening, Fig. 7.

The slabs may be providedwith but one tie hole in each end as indicatedin the slab 10 in Fig. 6, in which the reinforcing rod 12 encircles thetie holes 11' and extends around the border of the slab as in the firstform. Obviously any other form of reinforcement and manner of locatingthe same may be adopted. a

A revetment may be made up of one or more forms of slabs. Fig. 2 showsthe two forms above described associated in the same mattress. Thewasher 16 at the lower edge of the mattress is held in placeby a knot oreye in the lower end of the cables 14 and to these eyes may be attached,if desired, suitable anchors such as typified at 17, Figs. 1 & 9, theanchor for the upper end of such Cable being indicated at 18, Fig. 1.These anchors may, be conveniently made of concrete as indicated.

The mattress as seen'inFig. 1 is applied to a bank or levee 19 andextends below the water as indicated at 20. Obviously to a mattress ofthis sort anchors 17 may be applied where needed and when needed.

The invention claimed is: j

1. A revetment unit of composition provided with tie" holes for thepurpose set forth and with grooves'along its-ends for the reception ofassembling cables. I

2. A slab of reinforced concrete adapted to serve as a portion of arevetment and provided with reinforced tie holes at its ends, and withgrooves along its ends for the reception of assembling cables.

3. A revetment unit consisting of a slab of reinforcedconcrete providedwith a cable groove along each end wall thereof and with transversereinforced tie holes at the corners of said unit.

4. A revetment consisting of a series of slabs provided with grooves intheir adjacent ends, cables extending through the channels formed bysaid adjacent grooves, and means for holding adjacent slabs together,thereby inclosing the cables in said grooves and making close unionbetween the slabs.

5. A revetment consisting of a series of concrete slabs provided withtransverse tie holes, cables extending along the ends of said slabs, andmeans for tying the slabs together whereby to hold them to said cablesand close to each other.

6. A revetment consisting of a series of composition slabs providedwithtransverse tie holes and having metallic reinforcement about eachtie hole and extending from tie hole to tie hole, ties extending throughadjacent holes for holding the slabs together, and cables confinedbetween the ends of said slabs.

7. A revetment consisting ofa series of composition slabs provided withtransverse tie holes and having metallic reinforcement 'about each tiehole and extending from tie hole to tie hole, and alsohaving cablegrooves in adjacent ends, anchor cables in said grooves, and ties forjoining adjacent slabs together, thereby confining said cables in thegrooves and holding the slabs to the cables.

8. A revetment consisting of a number of parallel cables anchored asdesired, a series of concrete slabs arranged side-by-side between eachtwo adjacent cables and means for joining said slabs of one series to adacent slabs of the next series and thereby joining the slabs to thecables.

9. A revetment consisting of a number of upwardly extending cables, awasher jolmng the lower adjacent ends of the cables, series of concreteslabs arranged one above the other between adjacent cables and providedwith tie holes at their ends, and tiesextending through said holeswhereby to oin slabs of adjacent series and bind them together and tothe cables.

JAMES MoGILLIVRAY.

